1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to refrigeration apparatus and in particular to a mullion rail assembly in such apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In one form of refrigeration appliance, the outer cabinet is divided into compartments by a mullion wall. Illustratively, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,872,688 of Harry L. Tillman, which patent is owned by the assignee hereof, such a refrigeration appliance cabinet is divided into side-by-side compartments by a vertical divider mullion wall. The respective compartments are selectively closed by doors hingedly mounted to the cabinet and meeting in juxtaposed relationship in the closed disposition forwardly of the front edge portion of the mullion wall.
A substantial amount of heat transfer can take place through the mullion area of a side-by-side refrigerator. It has been found, for example, that half of the heat supplied to a conventional mullion rail by anti-condensation heaters actually flows into the refrigerated space. Such heat flow is undesirable because this heat must be removed by operation of the refrigeration apparatus, and the total energy efficiency of such apparatus is therefore reduced.
The present invention is concerned with an improved mullion rail structure adapted to be mounted to the front edge of the mullion wall to reduce heat transfer into the refrigerated space and to provide a condensation-free, magnetic closure means thereon.
A number of prior art devices have been developed for defining such mullion rail means. Illustratively, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,359, William P. Crowe shows a refrigerator cabinet having a removable partition mullion wall with a mullion rail carried on forwardly projecting supports.
Curtis A. Truesdell et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,150,518, disclose a means for attaching a U-shaped trim strip between the liners of the mullion wall. The structure includes a clip having one part frictionally attached to the mullion strip and a second part frictionally attached to the first part. The clip further serves to maintain spacing between the liners of the mullion wall.
Another thermal breaker strip is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,353,321 of Jerome P. Heilweil et al wherein a magnetically permeable metal strip is mounted on the breaker strip body portion by reception of converging ends of the metal strip in corresponding grooves of the body portion. The breaker strip is secured to the mullion wall by the foaming of the insulation in place with a securing portion of the breaker strip extending into the foamed-in-place insulation. The metal strip is adjacent one side edge of the breaker strip and provides a means for seating a magnetic door gasket against the breaker.